Eric Liberge was very young when he discovered comic book illustration as an expressive outlet. It was on discovering science-fiction and the Métal Hurlant journal in 1977 that new graphic horizons opened up to him and he started developing his trademark themes: the invisible and the afterlife.
So there he was, at 12-years-old, putting to paper a series of mad adventures about little skeletons in the afterlife, whose stories reflect the author's own existential questions with dark derision.
But it wasn't until 1996 and a few years of comic book practice for fanzines that "Monsieur Mardi-Gras Descendres" (Dupuis, Europe Comics 2016) finally came in to being. The acclaimed series took the form of a metaphysical satire about purgatory and our existence on Earth. The first volume was awarded the René Goscinny prize in 1999.
Eric Liberge doesn't limit himself just to bones. Either in collaboration or by himself, his affinity with the eclectic has pushed him to explore many other avenues: steampunk pirates, Antiquity, the 18th century, WWII, contemporary culture and the odd biography (Camille Claudel and Alan Turing). His constant quest for renewal has also led him to produce work for the Louvre museum and Versailles palace, amongst others.
The variety of his subjects gives him scope to explore his style with each new album, creating the ideal setting for each project he takes on. He's not chained to just one graphic technique, confining him to the same artistic tools; he uses anything from a biro to a fountain pen or a paintbrush to create his panels. He is particularly drawn to watercolors and generally insists on applying his own colors to his illustrations.
Alongside his work in comic books, Liberge produces lots of rather large illustrations, generally inspired by his albums, which he puts on display when he does book signings at festivals.
Mr. Ash Tuesday finally comes to the end of his wanderings. Right at the heart of Pluto and the first circles of Purgatory, Ash Tuesday comes face to face with the painful incarnations of his past. Thus the postman and his companion at last discover the true nature of Purgatory....
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